Press release
10/01/2007
TIVO ESTABLISHES INTERACTIVE DIRECT RESPONSE ADVERTISING GROUP, TAPS INDUSTRY VET TO LEAD INITIATIVE
-- Designed to Provide Direct Response Market with Actionable Advertising Solutions, Showcase Advantages of the TiVo Interactive Ad Platform --
-- Direct Response Powerhouse Mercury Media, Carat and Basco Already Among Group’s Clients --
LAS VEGAS, NV — October 1, 2007 — TiVo Inc. (NASDAQ: TIVO), the creator and a leader in advertising solutions and television services for digital video recorders (DVRs), today announced the formation of the Interactive Direct Response Advertising Group designed to help the DR community better understand the advertising challenges they face in the age of the DVR while educating them about the benefits of TiVo’s innovative Interactive Advertising Platfrom. Tivo’s ad solutions target the needs that direct response advertisers seek; the ability to relate to customers directly from the remote control.
Spearheading the new Group is industry veteran Robert Barnett who joins TiVo as a Senior Director, managing TiVo’s relationship with Worldlink Ventures, Inc., a Direct Response advertising sales representative for TiVo’s interactive advertising platform. Mr. Barnett reports directly to Karen Bressner, Senior Vice President of Advertising Sales at TiVo. The announcements came during the 17th Annual Electronic Retailing Conference currently underway in Las Vegas, NV through October 2.
“A major paradigm shift is underway in the television viewing habits of households with DVRs,” said Ms. Bressner. “As viewers increasingly embrace TiVo to record, time-shift and fast-forward their favorite television programs and commercials, the amount of time spent channel surfing has significantly diminished, directly impacting viewership numbers for infomercials and other direct response advertisements.” Ms. Bressner noted that, “according to TiVo Stop||Watch™ Service approximately a third of all DVR users are watching television on a time-shifted basis at any given moment. We believe that our Interactive Direct Response Ad Group presents valuable, timely solutions for the direct response market impacted by this growing trend.”
Speaking about Mr. Barnett’s appointment, Ms. Bressner said, “When introducing such a novel concept to the market, it is essential to have an executive leading the charge who not only knows the product but, more importantly, understands the client’s business. I am confident that Robert’s 25 years of experience as a successful developer, marketer and distributor of content for both the TV syndication and direct response markets will help drive the success of our Direct Response Ad Group.”
Mr. Barnett commented, “I am thrilled to be a part of a team that is helping to usher in a new era of interactive advertising and at the same time helping direct response advertisers and media agencies to think ‘inside the TiVo box’ by educating them about the benefits of our unique DVR advertising platform designed for the way consumers watch and use TV today.”
TiVo’s Interactive Direct Response Advertising has already added a number of highly-regarded agencies and brands to its client roster, most recently launching a Direct Response campaign through Mercury Media, one of the largest DRTV media firms in the industry, as well as Carat and Basco.
For interested advertisers and potential partners, please contact: Mr. Barnett, (212) 520-1908, rbarnett@tivo.com; Alex Gusavac, Worldlink Ventures, Inc., (323) 965-7400.
About TiVo Inc.
Founded in 1997, TiVo (NASDAQ: TIVO) pioneered a brand new category of products with the development of the first commercially available digital video recorder (DVR). Sold through leading consumer electronic retailers, TiVo has developed a brand which resonates boldly with consumers as providing a superior television experience. Through agreements with leading satellite and cable providers, TiVo also integrates its DVR service features into the set-top boxes of mass distributors. TiVo’s DVR functionality and ease of use, with such features as Season Pass™ recordings, WishList® searches, and TiVo® KidZone, have elevated its popularity among consumers and have created a whole new way for viewers to watch television. With a continued investment in its patented technologies, TiVo is revolutionizing the way consumers watch and access home entertainment. Rapidly becoming the focal point of the digital living room, TiVo’s DVR is at the center of experiencing new forms of content on the TV, such as broadband delivered video, music and photos. With innovative features, such as TiVoToGo™ transfers and online scheduling, TiVo is expanding the notion of consumers experiencing “TiVo, TV your way.®” The TiVo® service is also at the forefront of providing innovative marketing solutions for the television industry, including a unique platform for advertisers and audience measurement research. The company is based in Alviso, Calif.
TiVo, Stop||Watch, Season Pass, WishList, Series2, Series3, TiVoToGo, ‘TiVo, TV your way’ and the TiVo Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of TiVo Inc. or its subsidiaries worldwide. © 2007 TiVo Inc. All rights reserved.
Contact:
Whit Clay
For TiVo Inc.
(212) 446-1864
wclay@sloanepr.com
